■ Kim Geon, the newly elected representative of the People’s Future Party and former diplomat, stated in an interview that maintaining nuclear weapons would be challenging for North Korea, given its collapsing economy.
He also mentioned that a long-term approach to cooperation between North and South Korea could lead to a peaceful resolution. He emphasized that military strength combined with AI is more potent than nuclear capabilities.
He discussed the possibility of sudden changes in the international order, highlighting the importance of technological dominance and the need to enhance corporate competitiveness.
| Interview with Kim Geon, elected representative of the People’s Future Party. |
“Nuclear weapons are a financial black hole. The development and maintenance of advanced weapons involve astronomical costs. It is not a sustainable power for North Korea, which has a collapsing economy.”
Kim Geon, the incoming member-elect of the National Assembly from the People’s Future Party and former Director-General for North Korean Nuclear Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made this statement in an interview with the Seoul Economic Newspaper on the 15th.
Kim, who has also served at the South Korean embassies in the U.S. and China, took charge of practical affairs in the Six-Party Talks to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue based on this experience. He emphasized, “North Korea will eventually hit a wall and realize this is not the way, and until then, we must maintain our sanctions.” Kim also stressed the need for continued dialogue when North Korea realizes “this is not the way” and said, “It’s necessary to maintain this approach with the international community.”
This implies that besides maintaining its regime, North Korea gains no real benefits from developing nuclear weapons. Notably, there has never been a case where a country has withdrawn from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and been recognized as a nuclear-armed state, which is one of the reasons why North Korea’s nuclear development should never be acknowledged. Kim mentioned, “Kim Jong Un might think that continuing nuclear development will eventually wear everyone down into recognizing North Korea’s nuclear status, but we need to make it clear to the international community that this will absolutely not be the case.”
He said that resolving the North Korean nuclear issue requires a long-term approach. Kim noted, “It took 40 years to end apartheid in South Africa and 50 years for the U.S. Cold War policy; the North Korean nuclear issue has now been ongoing for 30 years. Diplomatic and peaceful solutions to issues critical to a regime’s fate are won by those who can endure over time.”
How does he view the U.S.-China rivalry? Kim defined the U.S.-China rivalry in terms of technological hegemony, power transition, and geopolitics, emphasizing the importance of technological hegemony. He warned, “If nuclear weapons were the biggest security threat humanity had faced until now, the combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and weapons will be even more formidable. Imagine a country could collapse another by merely deploying 50 such Terminators.”
Kim Geon pointed out, “The balance of strategy could break, leading to a sudden change in the international order.” He continued, “Corporate competitiveness has also become very important in terms of security, and just as the U.S. attracts companies by offering subsidies, Korea should make itself a country where others want to invest.”
Regarding the foreign policy at the halfway point of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, Kim evaluated that “it has laid the foundation for a foreign policy aligned with constitutional values.” Responding to criticisms that relations with China and Russia were neglected, he explained, “Even when predators hunt, they target the animals that stray from the pack. Rather, a firm recognition as part of the free democratic camp can create positive relations with China and Russia.”
He regretted that trivial issues had been overly highlighted. Kim stated, “Even if our government has shortcomings in foreign affairs, it should be praised. Instead, there have been frequent cases where internal political strife arose even without foreign provocations. In the 22nd National Assembly, I want to better inform our citizens about our diplomatic environment.”
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